"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



In making up the memorial annals of Cottonwood county no record would be complete that did not carry fitting mention of the life and of the services to this community of the late Tuffiel Tibbedeaux, of Great Bend township, and who, in his day, was one of the largest landowners and most extensive cattlemen in this part of the state. Tuffiel Tibbedeaux was a Canadian, of French descent, born on June 15, 1845, son of Oliver and Mary Louise (Sears) Tibbedeaux, both of whom also were born in Canada and who lived there until 1850, in which year they moved over the line and located in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin. There the mother died and the father later came to Minnesota and located in Faribault county, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1885. There were five children in the family, of whom the subject of this memorial sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being Philemon, Isadore, Rosa and Joseph, of whom Rosa is now the only survivor.

Tuffiel Tibbedeaux was five years old when his parents moved to Wisconsin in 1850, and there, in the neighborhood of Fond du Lac, he grew to manhood. On September 5, 1864, he then being nineteen years of age, he enlisted for service in the Union army during the Civil War as a recruit in Company A, Second Wisconsin Cavalry, with which command he served until the close of the war and during the period of which service he participated in some stirring engagements. Upon the conclusion of his military service, Mr. Tibbedeaux came to Minnesota, arriving in Faribault county in June, 1865, and there he home-steaded a quarter of a section of land, which he proceeded to develop. The following September he married and on that homestead tract he established his home. Mr. Tibbedeaux was an excellent farmer and as his operations prospered he added to his holdings until he became the owner of six hundred and forty acres, on which place he made his home for about thirty years, at the end of which time he disposed of his extensive interests in Faribault county and moved to Cottonwood county. He bought a quarter of a section of land in Great Bend township, established his home there and again prospered in his farming operations, gradually increasing his land until he became the owner of one thousand two hundred and eighty acres of land and was one of the largest cattle buyers and feeders in this part of the state. Mr. Tibbedeaux had a fine place in Great Bend township and took much pleasure in the extension and development of the same. He gave thoughtful attention to the general activities of the neighborhood in a business way and was regarded as one of the most substantial and influential residents of that pan of the county, so that at his death on March 8, 1908, there was general regret throughout that community. Mr. Tibbedeaux was a Republican and gave a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but was not a seeker after office. He was ever a faithful Catholic and on several occasions had served as church trustee.

Tuffiel Tibbedeaux was twice married. It was on September 5, 1865, shortly after returning from war, that he was united in marriage to Rosa D. Guyette, daughter of Joseph and Madaline (LaValley) Guyette, natives of Canada, and to that union eleven children were born, namely. Ellen, who married John Smith and has five children, Fred, Henry, Verne, Lawrence and Marie; Solomon, who married Julia Paseneaux, who died, leaving one child, Irma, after which he married Rosa Puryer; Tuffiel, who married Virginia Ebert and has seven children, Bert, Mitchell, Clemeth, Genevia, Lucile, Victor and Blanche; Louise, who married Clayton Sole and has one child, Merlon; Rosa, who married Robert Coulter; Joseph, who married Cecelia Sweeney and has three children, Alfred, Adrian and another; Lovina, who married William Viles and has three children, Roy, Joseph and Blanche; Margaret, who married Henry Percival and is now deceased; Madaline, deceased; Nora, who married Anton Below and has one child, Tuffiel, and Michael, who died in infancy. The mother of these children died on May 15, 1881, and on September 23, 1883, Mr. Tibbedeaux married, secondly, Edwidge Better, who was born in Franklin county, New York, daughter of Peter and Mary (Sampson) Better, natives of Canada, and to this union five children were born, as follow: Ezra, who married Florence Sunnesack and has three children, Mavis, Colletta and Edwidge; Eva, who married Isaac Sunnesack and has three children, Delois, Reda and Phyllis; Anna Belle, who is at home with her mother, Florence, who married James Develon, and Blanche, who is teaching in Cottonwood county. Mrs. Tibbedeaux, who for some years has made her home at Windom, has a very pleasant home there and maintains a hearty interest in the general social and cultural affairs of the city, ever interested in such movements as are designed to advance the welfare of the people of her home town and of the community at large.